Into the Fire
by Emmeline Bondurant
Summary: That damn boy was always getting himself into trouble.


Severus walked cautiously along the water logged path; his wand projecting a barrier above his head to protect him from the torrential downpour of rain. It was late in the afternoon, just after dinner, and he was headed towards the pitch on the far side of the lake.

When he had walked into the Great Hall for the afternoon meal nearly fifteen minutes late, his usual companion hadn't been in attendance. He found it quite strange. Normally Regulus was seated at the nearest end of the Slytherin table, closest to the doors, saving him a seat when he arrived. Instead of worrying himself though he simply sat down to eat, scowling at some third year until they moved out of his seat.

Only five minutes later when the hall doors creaked open for a second time, what came through the doors finally gave him reason to became anxious. Sirius and Potter stumbled into the room soaking wet and with wild grins on their faces, the kind that meant they had been up to no good. As Sirius glanced his way he cackled before Potter dragged him to their table, shushing him.

Setting down his goblet of juice, he stood from the table and hastily left the hall. At first he tried to think of just why the two heathens would have been soaked through. He thought of the prefects bathroom or maybe it had been a retaliation spell. It could have been anything and that's what made him concerned.

A sudden groan echoed through the entrance hall just as he was about to leave for the fifth floor, as Regulus had transfiguration with Potter as his last class of that day. He glanced over to where the castle doors had been blown open, as if someone hadn't closed them properly. With a frustrated sigh, he nearly stomped over. Just as he was going to shove the door shut, he heard the wind whistling and the sound of rain splatter against the wood.

He had frantically ran out of the castle doors, nearly slipping on the wet ground, only thinking to cast up a barrier as a second thought. It only took him a moment for his eyes to flash across the grounds before he barely spotted a hovering figure above the quidditch pitch through the heavy rain. Quickly but carefully as to not slip again, he had rushed down the path.

Upon finally reaching the pitch after what he deemed far too long an amount of time, Severus quickly climbed one of the Slytherin stands before he was out in the open again and watching as Regulus hovered nearby. He was completely soaked through, water running down his face and sticking his clothes to his body uncomfortably.

"Regulus Arcturus Black!" Severus called out angrily; the damn boy was going to catch the flu. Turning so quickly that he nearly fell off the broom and nearly giving Severus a heart attack, Regulus looked as if he'd seen a ghost. Once he realized who had called to him, he heaved a relieved sigh and flew over steadily.

As soon as he was over the stands, Severus grabbed him by the back of the neck and jerked him off of the broom roughly. With a cry of surprise, Regulus hit the seats with a thunk, just barely missing cracking his head on the hard wood. "Severus! What was that for?!" Looking up with a glare, he found one pointed right back at him.

"What was that for he says!" Severus sneered with a harsh nudge with his boot against the boys knee, "You're soaking wet and out flying about the bloody pitch! Without storm gear or protective charms! You're going to catch death!" It took a moment for the words to register and when they did Regulus' glare melted into an amused grin.

He reached over and nudged the older boy in return, "Aw Sev, you'd better be careful. Your mother hen is showing." Severus' cheeks flamed red before he gave him a good slap to the head. Regulus laughed through the quick pain and stood from the seats, "I'm only teasing Severus, no need to resort to violence." He motioned towards the pitch as his lips turned downwards, "And I didn't have any bloody choice."

Severus merely rose an eyebrow in disbelief and he deadpanned, "The fact that your saying that being your only evidence." Regulus shot him a dirty look before pointing out to the left. Looking only to humor the boy, Severus startled as he saw the little gold flitting snitch hovering around the Hufflepuff stands next to theirs. "Damned Potter."

Beside him Regulus growled, "Not Potter." At Severus' surprised look, Regulus grinned ruefully, "Oh yes, _dear brother_ of mine decided that I had to earn the right to date who I deemed worthy." This surprised Severus even more so as his eyebrows nearly disappeared into his fringe.

"I didn't know you to fancy anyone Regulus, I believed you to be celibate." Regulus gave him a wounded gaze before he noticed the smirk on Severus' lips. He gave the boy a harsh shove to which Severus fell onto one of the nearest seats with a chuckle. "Alright, who is so _worthy_ that you are out here risking _your health_ to humor your brother?"

Regulus seemed to sober up at that, amused eyes becoming guarded as he turned to pick up the broom from where it had fallen below the seats. "I'm not out here to humor him. I'll date who I damn well please. It's that Madam Hooch will be pissed off when she finds one of the snitches missing and that will lead to months of detention for me." Severus gave him a disbelieving look, "Who do you think she'd believe? Me or the prized Potter?"

That made more sense than Severus cared to admit and he shoved his anger at the Gryffindor to the back of his mind. Standing back up with a sigh he looked to the snitch, that still flew around the next stands, and canceled his barrier. With a speed that he was quite proud of he summoned the little bugger and cast back up his barrier before too much damage was done. "Here," He handed over the now immobile ball.

With a look that Severus was unable to decipher, Regulus took the snitch with a small shudder. Believing the boy to be freezing Severus took him by the elbow and lead him down the stairs beneath the seats and into the humid yet dry shaft. Once they were at the bottom of the stairs and at the exit he easily cast drying and warming charms on Regulus' clothing before rubbing his hands up and down his arms in an attempt to warm him up.

"We'll wait a moment before heading back to the castle, I think that I can cast a barrier large enough that we'll both stay dry." He muttered softly, "We have to hurry though, I don't know how long I'll be able to keep..." Before he was able to finish his sentence, he was cut of harshly when something pressed against his mouth. Goose pimples raced across his flesh.

Regulus closed his eyes as he pushed himself up against the older boy, hands finding their way to the back of his neck and fingers lacing themselves in his hair. His lips moved gently against Severus' own and just when he thought the boy wouldn't respond, that he had read the signs wrong, hands grasped his waist pulling him closer.

It seemed like the world slowed, like time stopped flowing as Regulus lost himself in the moment. They moved together fluidly, shifting carefully until Regulus was leaning against the door frame. It was only when Severus jerked away with a yell that they broke apart, leaving Regulus wide eyed with fear. Sadness crept into his eyes as he saw that Severus had been acting on instinct alone.

That was until Severus started jerking at his robes, pulling them away from his skin. Regulus blinked at the sight of the boy with only half of his body and clothing soaked through. He began to smile and then laugh when he realized that Severus had been standing half out in the rain. "Don't laugh you prat, you're the cause of this!" This only made Regulus laugh harder, now trying to wipe the tears of mirth from his eyes.

With a growl that he only heard Regulus felt himself be shoved out of under the protection of the stands and back into the rain. He had only just enough sense to grip the edge of Severus' sleeve, unwittingly bringing the boy with him. When he finally looked back up at him, Severus was staring at him with a neutral expression, seeming to ignore the rain despite his getting wet. Regulus could only smile softly as Severus' hesitantly reached forward.

Taking the back of Regulus' neck in his grasp, Severus pulled him into another kiss. It was short and warm against the rain that had successfully drenched them all over again. As they separated, Regulus ran his hand along Severus' with that same fond smile. With a small upturn of his own lips, Severus gave a short nod before his eyes widened in shock as his wand was ripped away from him, "What?"

Regulus nearly danced backwards, waving the wand just out of his reach, "I really like you Severus, very much so. But this is for getting me all wet again. If I have to be sick, so do you." He waggled his eyebrows before darting up the path towards the castle. A dark scowl came over his expression as Severus gave an angry yell, taking off after him; he'd kill that damned boy.

::

Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed!


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